Halloween Havoc
Sunday, October 24, 1999 from Las Vegas, NV
World Championship Wrestling exploded onto pay-per-view tonight with “Halloween Havoc.” The card, live from the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV, was the first PPV since Vince Russo and Ed Ferrera took control of WCW booking. How did it measure up? Judge for yourself. Here are your complete results.
The show opened up with a run down of the action, and the announcement that Rey Mysterio, Jr. has been injured and thus could not wrestle. The WCW board of directors stripped the Tag Team titles from Mysterio and Konnan, and ordered a three way dance later in the evening for the straps: Konnan and Kidman vs. Hugh Morrus and Brian Knobs vs. Harlem Heat.
Match #1: WCW World Cruiserweight Champion Disco Inferno vs. Lash LeRoux. Choppy opener to the card, as LeRoux, the recipient of WCW’s “midcarder push of the month” looked very green against Disco. Sloppy action for most of the match, as Lash seemed too interested in hitting highspots and didn’t concentrate on much else. Interesting note about LeRoux, he got his name from a 1920’s silent film star. Speaking of silent, that’s what the crowd was for this one. Disco eventually hit the Last Dance for the merciful end to this one. Afterwards, Lash hit his “Ragin’ Cajun” (AKA the Amniville Horror that Chris Chetti uses, or the finisher Ivory has favored lately) and walked out with the title. Please Russo, save us from a rematch.
Winner: And still Cruiserweight Champion, Disco Inferno
Pre-shot footage showed Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko telling Saturn they quit the Revolution.
Match #2: WCW World Tag Team Title Match — 3 Way Dance: Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray) vs. The Filthy Animals (Konnan & Kidman) vs. The First Family (“Laughing Man” Hugh Morrus & “Nasty” Brian Knobs) (with Jimmy Hart). This one was contested under Hardcore rules (?). Wild brawl from the outset, and it was hard to follow all of the action. Knobs was tossed into the cemetery set up and had the tombstones broken and bashed over his skull by Heat. Hugh Morrus was working over Konnan in the ring, while Kidman brawled with Stevie Ray. Booker T and Knobs ended up in the locker room, with Morrus setting Konnan up on a table in the ring. Booker T got the pin in the back on Knobs, and just seconds later Morrus put Konnan through the table and got the pin there. The referee’s argued briefly over who got the win, but eventually decided Booker T has gotten the pinfall first.
Winners: And for the 10th time, WCW World Tag Team Champions, Harlem Heat.
Ric and David Flair are showed entering the building, Ric clutching a crowbar. Meanwhile, back in the ring, “Diamond” Dallas Page and Kimberly were bad mouthing Flair. DDP challenged Flair into making their match a strap match later in the night.
Goldberg was shown entering the building and asking for Sid. Mike Tenay talked to Kidman and Eddy Guerrero about Eddy’s upcoming match with Saturn.
Match #3: Perry Saturn vs. Eddy Guerrero. Eddy took off his watch (which used to be Ric Flair’s watch) and gave it to Bobby Heenan. This was a very good match, with lots of back and forth action and solid mat work. Saturn hit his trademark moves (T-Bone suplex, savate kicks, legdrops) and Guerrero proved why he is one of the top five workers in the US today. Good exchange as Eddy went for the Frog Splash but Saturn moved, then Eddy got crotched on the top rope and fell victim to a super-Northern Lights Suplex. Saturn then looked like he was going for a super bomb, but Eddy turned it into a top rope brainbuster. Cue Ric Flair, who hit the ring crowbar in hand. He clocked Eddy, ending the match. Kidman, who tried to help Guerrero, got a crowbar shot, too. Finally Torrie got a big kiss planted on her by Flair, as the “Dirtiest Player in the Game” reclaimed his watch and walked out.
Winner: Eddy Guerrero by DQ.
In the locker room, Goldberg was beating the snot out of Sid Vicious. Buff Bagwell came out to the ring and called out Jeff Jarrett. Jarrett, making his second PPV appearance in two weeks, brought a guitar with him. The two men brawled briefly before Lex Luger ran in and tried to nail Jarrett, but instead clobbered Buff with the guitar.
Eddy Guerrero was shown in the back calling Rey Mysterio, Jr. on his cellphone and saying “Get back here now.”
Match #4: Berlyn (with his bodyguard) vs. Brad Armstrong. Decent back and forth action in this one, although a short match (thankfully). Crowd was dead again. Sounded like there was an “Alex Wright” chant, but I couldn’t quite make it out. Anyway, Berlyn went for his neckbreaker, but Brad grabbed the top rope, blocking the move. Armstrong then covered Berlyn for a quick win. Berlyn’s bodyguard then beat down B.A., and Berlyn walked out with his head held high. Huh?
Winner: Brad Armstrong
In the back, Ric Flair accepts the strap stip for later tonight against DDP.
Match #5: WCW World TV Champion “Crippler” Chris Benoit vs. “Dog Faced Gremlin” Rick Steiner. This one was pretty good, easily Steiners’ best match in years. Benoit once again proved why he belongs in that elite status. Very good action, with suplexes flying back and forth. Match looked really stiff, but then again it did involve Benoit (and Rick has been known to work hard too). After a ref bump, Steiner brought a chair into the ring, but Benoit blocked it and hit side suplex. Benoit placed the chair on top of The DFG and went for his diving headbutt, but instead caught the chair in his face. Dean Malenko ran out and grabbed the chair then. He looked ready to hit Steiner, but pulled a swerve and KO’d Benoit. Rick got the pin to regain the belt. Meanwhile, Malenko and Perry Saturn hugged in the aisle.
Winner: And for the third time, WCW TV Champion, Rick Steiner.
Match #6: Bret “Hit Man” Hart vs. The Total Package (with Elizabeth). The former Lex Luger used his power to dominate most of this match, and Bret was still selling his knee injury from Nitro. Crowd came a live for a bit in this one, but it didn’t last long. Bret limped for most of the bout, and the Package finally applied a half crab on “The Hitman.” To the shock of everyone, Bret tapped out. I never remember Bret submitting before last week on Nitro to Sting, and now he does it again against TTP?
Winner: The Total Package by submission.
In the back, Goldberg was interviewed and promised to beat up Sid for us. Yeah.
Madusa strutted out in a bikini top promoting the new WCW Cologne. She said she didn’t want to do this. She ended up dumping it on Heenan at ringside.
Match #7: WCW World Champion Sting vs. Hulk Hogan. Hogan’s music played, but he didn’t come out. Finally, Sting’s new music (“Seek and Destroy” by Metallica) played, and out walked the champ. Eventually when Hogan’s music played again, he appeared — but in street clothes. Hogan got in the ring, said something to Sting, and laid down for him. Sting covered, one, two, three. Hogan walked out and they cut to a video. Before anyone even thinks about it: COMPLETE WORK!
Winner: And still WCW Champion, Sting.
Match #8: WCW United States Champion Sid Vicious vs. Bill Goldberg. Sid walked out bandaged up, selling the attack from earlier. As Goldberg came out, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash appeared and attacked the challenger. Goldberg finally made it to the ring, and went head to head with Sid. The two men brawled, and soon Sid was bleeding again. Pretty soon it got to be messy, and it appears WCW is trying to push the envelope a bit. Time Warner has a policy against lots of blood in matches, but it didn’t seem to be in effect for this one. However, things finally got so bad with Sid bleeding profusely that the match was stopped. Goldberg was awarded the US title, and Rick Steiner ran down to help Sid.
Winner: And for the second time, WCW United States Champion, Goldberg.
Sting came out and said he didn’t want a night off, challenging anyone to a title match later on.
Match #9: “Nature Boy” Ric Flair vs. “Diamond” Dallas Page (with Kimberly) in a strap match. This one has been talked about all week long as possibly “Flair’s last match.” Of course, it was supposedly Flair’s last match at Halloween Havoc 1994, too, so only time will tell. (Be sure to check out the WCW News section for more info about Flair’s future). If it is in fact Flair’s last bout, it’s good to see he went out in the main event of a PPV. Too bad they couldn’t put him in there with someone better than DDP. Page is another guy who will be retiring from the sport soon (and at his age, he can’t have much longer) so I don’t understand why Flair didn’t put over someone younger (Goldberg for example) who the company can rely on for years to come. This one was better than you’d expect from DDP and Flair at this stage, but it was not classic. The two men brawled out into the audience, then back to the ring. Page busted Flair open, as the two continued to brawl. Dallas eventually hit the Diamond Cutter and Charles Robinson counted the three, but didn’t call for the bell. Just from their expressions, it looked like a blown finish. David Flair ran in and attacked Page, but DDP took the crowbar and nailed David and Ric with it. Ric was strangled by the strap, and David and Robinson began to cry. Flair was put on a stretcher, and Tony and Bobby sold that it could be “career ending.” Before Flair could be put in the ambulance, the Filthy Animals attacked him. They beat down Flair for several minutes before tossing him in the life squad and driving off with him.
Winner: Dallas Page
Match #10: WCW World Champion Sting. vs. WCW United States Champion Bill Goldberg. OK, hang with me on this one. I am not sure if this was a non-title match or what, but silly me, I assume when the champion of your promotion wrestles in the main event of your third biggest PPV of the year, it’s a title match. Tony said it was a non-title bout. Anyway, Goldberg won the match (and the title?) by pinning Sting.
Winner: Bill Goldberg
